Baby doll burp mechanism



July 12, 1966 J. w. RYAN 3,260,015

BABY DOLL BURP MECHANISM Filed April 22, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I, II

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July 12, 1966 J. w. RYAN 3,260,015

BABY DOLL BURP MECHANISM Filed April 22, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVNTOR.fax/1v 41/ Fwy/v United States Patent 3,260,015 BABY DOLL BURP MECHANISMJohn W. Ryan, Bel Air, Calif., assignor to Mattel, Inc.,

' Hawthorne, Califi, a corporation of California Filed Apr. 22, 1964,Ser. No. 361,766 9 Claims. (Cl. 46-117) In general, the presentinvention relates to a baby doll burp mechanism. More specifically, thepresent invention relates to a baby doll burp mechanism adapted to beoperated by patting the baby doll on the back and to periodicallyproduce a burp sound when operated so as to simulate the actual behaviorof a baby.

In recent years there have been substantial advances in the constructionof dolls which simulate the physical appearance and behavior of realpeople. Thus, for example, baby'dolls have been constructed which havethe capability of emitting a burping sound when operated. However, suchprior art baby doll burp mechanisms usually did not achieve a realisticreproduction of the actual burp sound emitted by babies and thus theillusion intended to be created by the doll was impaired. Moreimportant, the prior art baby doll burp mechanisms were usually actuatedin one brief operation, such as squeezing the doll which is contrary tothe normal practice of burping a baby by patting it gently on the backfor a period of time to cause the baby to burp. Thus, not only did theprior art fail to operate the burp mechanism in the way that burping isnormally obtained in a baby, but also failed to allow for the normaltime lag between the initial patting action and the burp which isfinally produced.

Consequently, the object of the present invention is a baby doll burpmechanism adapted to be operated by patting the baby doll on the back.

Another object of the present invention is a baby doll burpmechanismadapted to only periodically produce a burp sound when operated byrepeated patting on the back of the baby doll.

Still another object of the present invention is a simply constructedand operated baby doll burp mechanism which is adapted to produce arealistic burping sound.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readilyapparent from the following description and drawings which illustrate apreferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

In general, the present invention involves a baby doll burp mechanismcomprising a burp sound means mounted within a baby doll and adapted toemit a burp sound when operated. Also mounted within the baby doll areactuator means which are adapted to be operated by patting the baby dollon the back. Operatively connected between the actuator means and theburp sound means are control means adapted to convert the repeatedoperation of the actuator means into periodic operation of the burpsound means.

In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, referencewill now be made to the appended drawings of a preferred specificembodiment as well as an alternate specific embodiment of the presentinvention. Such drawings should not be construed as limiting theinvention which is preferably set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 illustrates the way a child can operate a baby dollincorporating the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross section of a portion of a baby dollillustrating an alternate embodiment of a baby doll burp mechanism ofthe present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIGURE 2 taken along the lines 33of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIGURE 3 taken along the lines 44of FIGURE 3 showing an enlarged portion of FIGURE 2 and illustrating theinitial operation of the baby doll burp mechanism;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the operation of the babydoll burp mechanism when the back of the baby doll is patted;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIGURE 4 illustrating theoperation of the burp sound means of the baby doll burp mechanism;

FIGURE 7 is an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of the device shown in FIGURE 7illustrating the start of its operation;

FIGURE 9 is similar to FIGURE 8 showing an intermediate stage of theoperation of the present invention; and

FIGURE 10 is similar to FIGURE 8 showing the operation of the presentinvention at the point of the production of the burp sound.

As illustrated in FIGURES 7-10, the preferred embodiment of the babydoll burp mechanism 20 includes a burp sound means 21 mounted within ababy doll (not shown) and adapted to emit a burp sound when operated.Also mounted within the baby doll are actuator means 30 adapted to beoperated by patting the baby doll on its back. Operatively connectingthe actuator means 30 with the burp sound means 21 is a control means 40which is adapted to convert the repeated operation of the actuator means30 into periodic operation of the burp sound means 21. The burp soundmeans 21 mounted within the baby doll, as noted above, is adapted toemit a burp sound when operated. Thus, the burp sound means 21 includesa resonator means 23 for emitting a burp sound when struck and a hammermeans 27 adapted to strike the resonator means 23 and to be operated bythe control means 40. The resonator means 23 includes a cone 24 havingits apex adjacent the hammer means 27 and which is mounted on a frame 25within the doll 22. Extending coaxially from the base of the cone 24 isa sound tube 26 which is adapted to modulate the sounds generated by thecone 24. The hammer means 27 includes a spring arm 28 which is fixed atits first end 28' and has a second free end 28" extending adjacent tothe control means 40. Mounted on the spring arm 28 is a hammer head 29which is adapted to strike the apex of the cone 24 when the hammer means27 is operated.

Also mounted within the baby doll is an actuator means 30 adapted to beoperated by patting the baby doll on its back. Th actuator means 30comprises a lever means 31 operated by patting the baby doll on its backand connecting arm means 35 for transferring the motion of the levermeans to the control means 40. The lever means 31 includes a lever arm32 which is pivoted on a base 33 which is adapted to support the frame25 of the burp sound means 21. More specifically, the first end 32' ofthe lever arm 32 is pivoted on an axis 34 mounted on the base 33 and thelever arm 32 has a second free end 32" which forms an offset flangepositioned adjacent the back of the baby doll. A spring (not shown)biases the lever arm 32 into a position with the flange 32" adjacent theback of the baby doll. The connecting arm means 35 comprises a post 36mounted on the free end 32" of the lever arm 32 and extending inwardlywith its free end 36' adjacent to the control means 40. Mounted on thefree end 36' of the post 36 is a connecting roller 37 which is adaptedto contact the drive means 40 when the lever arm 32 is moved inwardly bya pat on the back of the baby doll.

Operatively connecting the actuator means 30 with the burp sound means21 is a control means 40 which is adapted to convert the repeatedoperation of the actuator means 30 into periodic operation of the burpsound means 21. The control means 40 comprises drive means 41 adapted toperform oscillatory motion when operated by the actuator means 30 andregulator means 50 for periodically operating the burp sound means 21. Aclutch means 60 translates the oscillatory motion of the drive means 40into unidirectional motion of the regulator means 50. The drive means 41comprises a drive arm 42 rotatably mounted on an axle 43 which in turnis mounted between a spaced pair of columns 44. The columns 44 aremounted on the base 33 and have a brace 45 also extending therebetween.The drive arm 42 is biased into contact with the connector roller 37 ofthe actuator means 36 by a drive spring 47 mounted on the axle 43between one of the columns 44 in the drive arm 42. Thus, the initialposition of the drive arm 42 is adjoining the actuator means 30 when theactuator means 30 is in its initial position. Also, when the lever arm32 of the actuator means 30 is returned to its initial position by thebiasing spring (not shown), the drive spring 47 of the drive means 41returns the drive arm 42 to its initial position.

The regulator means 50 comprises a paddle wheel 51 rotatably mounted onthe axle 43 with a spaced series of paddles 52 extending outwardlytherefrom around its circumferences and received in a slot 48 in thebrace 45. Each of the paddles 52 is adapted to cause a single operationof the burp sound means 21 during the rotation of the paddle wheel 51 byengaging the free end 28" of the spring arm 28, bending it so that thehammer head 29 moves away from the apex of the cone 24 and then suddenlyreleasing it so that the hammer head 29 strikes the apex of the cone 24.

The clutch means 60 comprises a drum 61 rotatably mounted on the axle 43and fixedly connected to the paddle wheel 51 of the regulator means 50.Also, the clutch means 60 includes block 62 fixedly connected to thedrive arm 42 of the drive means 40 and adapted to rotate about the drum61. Positioned on the drum 61 between the drum 61 and the block 62 is aclutch roller 63 which is adapted to fixedly connect the drum 61 and theblock 62 during the rotation of the block 62 in one direction, Le. acounter-clockwise direction, as illustrated in FIGURE 8, and disconnectthe drum 61 from the block 62 during rotation of the block in theopposite direction. The clutch roller 63 is maintained in such positionby means of spring 64 wound around a post 65 mounted on the drive arm 42and extending adjacent the block 62. The first end 64' of the clutchspring 64 extends through a'first slot 62 in the block 62 and isreceived in a circumferential groove 63' in the clutch roller 63. Thesecond end 64" of the clutch spring 64 is received in a second slot 62"in the block 62 and is braced therein. The gap 66 between the block 62and the drum 61 is decreased in width at one end of the block wherebythe roller 63 is wedged therein during the rotation of the block 62 inthe one direction, i.e. counterclockwise direction. Conversely, the gap66 is increased in width at the opposite end of the block so that duringthe rotation of the block 62 in the opposite direction, the result isthat the roller freely rotates therein. As illustrated in FIGURE 9, suchrange in gap width is attained simply by positioning the block 62 at anangle with respect to the roller 61 so that one end of the block iscloser to the roller 61 than the other end of the block.

The operation of the present invention is illustrated in FIGURES 8-10;as shown therein when a child strikes the back of the baby doll, theback pushes the lever arm 32 of the actuator means 30 inwardly becauseof the contact of the back with the flange 32" of the lever arm 32. Suchmovement is translated via the post 36 and the roller 37 to the drivearm 42 so that the drive arm 42 in turn is rotated inwardly. The inwardrotation of the drive arm 42 rotates the block 62 inwardly so that itsfirst end 62a which is slightly farther from the drum 61 moves theclutch roller 63. Concurrently, the first end 64' of the spring 64mounted on the drive arm 42 maintains the clutch roller 63 in positionon the drum 61 so that the clutch roller 63 becomes wedged between theblock 62 and the roller 61 during the aforementioned motion of the block62. Thus, the block 62 becomes fixedly connected to the drum 61 and theinward rotation of the block 62 causes the drum 61 to rotatecounterclockwise about its axle 43. Such rotation of the drum 61 in turnrotates the paddle wheel 51 so that paddle 52 moves towards engagementwith the free end 28" of the hammer spring 28.

When the child then removes its hand in preparation to pat the back ofthe baby doll, the drive spring 47 rotates the drive arm 42 outwardlyback to its initial position. Such rotation of the drive arm 42 in turnrotates the block 62 so that its second end 62b slightly closer to thedrum 61 moves away from the clutch roller 63. Such movement of the block62 effectively increases the gap width between the block 62 and the drum61 so that the clutch roller 63 becomes freely rotatable therein whilebeing maintained in position on the drum 61 by the spring 64. Thus, theblock 62 is disengaged from the drum 61 while the clutch roller 63maintains the position achieved by the drum 61 during the forwardrotation of the drive arm 42. Concurrently, the lever arm 32 is returnedto its initial position by a spring bias so that the flange 32" keepscontact with the back of the baby doll.

When the child again strikes the back of the doll and then removes hishand during the patting of the doll back, the aforementioned sequence ofevents again occurs so that the paddle 52 on the paddle wheel 51continues to move toward engagement with the hammer spring 28. After afew pats, the paddle 52 engages the free end 28" of the hammer spring 28and bends the hammer head 29 away from the apex of the cone 24.Continued rotation of the paddle 52 caused by continued patting of thedoll back finally causes the paddle 52 to bend the hammer spring 28 tothe point that the free end 28" slip past the paddle 52 and causes thehammer head 29 to strike the apex of the cone 24 to cause the burp soundmeans to emit a burping sound. Continued patting of the baby doll 22then causes the same sequence of events to occur so that after the timedelay involved in a series of pats, a burping sound is produced andsuccessive burping sounds are produced only after successive series ofpats.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated inFIGURES 1-6 wherein the baby doll burp mechanism is positioned adjacentthe back 122' of the baby doll 122. Similar to FIGURES 7-10, the burpsound means i121 includes a resonator means 123 for emitting a burpsound when struck. The resonator means 123 comprises flexiblehemispherical membrane 124 mounted within a sound tube 126 which is inturn mounted on a frame 125. The burp sound means 123- also include ahammer means 127 which is adapted to strike the resonator means 123 andto be operated by the control means 140. The hammer means 127 includes ahammer spring 128 fixed at its first end 128' with its free end 128"extending adjacent to the control means 140. Mounted adjacent the freeend 128" of the hammer spring .128 is a hammer head 129 which is adaptedto strike the resonator means 123 of the burp sound means 121.

The actuator means 130 of the burp sound mechanism 120 in FIGURES 1-6com-prises a lever means 131 operated by patting the baby doll on theback. Lever means 131 includes a lever arm 132 pivotally mounted on abase 133 with its first end 132 pivoted on a pivot bar 134 connected tothe base 133 and a second end 13 2" extending through an aperture 133'in the base 133 and forming an offset flange which adjoins the back 122'of the baby doll 12.2. Unlike the baby doll mechanism illustrated inFIGURES 7-10, the actuator means 130 is in direct contact with thecontrol means without an intervening connecting arm means.

The control means 140 of the baby burp mechanism 120 comprises a drivemeans 141 which is operated by the actuator means and comprises arotatably mounted drive arm 142 with a drive spring 147 adapted tomaintain .5 the contact with the drive arm 142 and the back 122 of thebaby doll 122. Unlike the baby burp mechanism 20 illustrated in FIGURES7-10, the baby burp mechanism 120 has regulator means 150 which comprisea cam wheel 1'51 rotatably mounted on an axle 143 which in turn ismounted on the base 133. The cam Wheel 151 has at least one shoulder 152which is adapted to cause a single operation of the burp sound means 121during the rotation of the cam wheel 151.

Similar to the baby doll burp mechanism 20 in FIG- URES 7-10, the babydoll burp mechanism 120- includes a clutch means 160 for translating theoscillatory motion of the drive means 141 into unidirectional motion ofthe regulator to'y means 150. However, unlike the baby doll burpmechanism 20, the clutch means 160 comprises a cog wheel 161 rotatablymounted on the axle 143 and fixedly attached to the cam wheel 151. Thecog wheel 161 is adapted'to be rotated in one direction by the inwardmovement of the drive means 141 and unaffected by outward movement ofthe drive means 141. Thus, as illustrated, the clutch means 160 includesa connecting pawl 162 pivotal-1y connected to the drive arm 142 by pivotpin 16 3 and maintained in engagement with the cog wheel 161 by means ofa connecting spring 1 64 braced between the connecting pawl 162 and thedrive arm 142.

The operation of the baby doll burp mechanism 120 involves the rotationof the cam wheel 151 by the inward movement of the pawl 1612 caused bythe inward movement of the drive arm 142. Such rotation of the cam wheel15 1 gradually bends the hammer head 129 away from the membrane 124 dueto the movement of the free end 128 of the hammer spring 128 with theinclined portion of the cam wheel 151. The outward movement of the drivearm 142 caused by releasing the back 122' of the baby doll 1 22 does notaffect the rotation of the cam wheel 151 since the pawl v162 ridesfreely over the cog wheel 161. In addition, the frictional engagement ofthe free end 128" of the hammer spring 128 with the cam wheel 151maintains the position of the cam wheel 151 during the outward movementof the pawl 162 with respect to the cog Wheel 161. When the cam wheel151 rotates to the point where the free end 128" of the hammer spring128 drops off the shoulder 152, the hammer head 129 strikes the membrane124 causing the burp sound means 121 to emit a burp sound.

Many other specific embodiments of the present invention will be obviousto one skilled in the art in view of this disclosure. For example, asset forth above, a variety of burp sound means and actuator means, aswell as various control means, may be utilized in the burp soundmechanism. Specifically, illustrated in FIGURES 1-10, various drivemeans, regulator means and clutch means may be utilized. In addition,other variations are possible for interconnecting the actuator meanswith the drive means portion of the control means. Thus, for example, asingle spring biasing means on one of the two elements could be used toreturn them to their initial position.

There are many features in the present invention which clearly show thesignificant advance the present invention represents over the prior art.Consequently, only a few of the more outstanding features will bepointed out to illustrate the unexpected and unusual results attained bythe present invention. One feature of the present invention is a babyburp mechanism adapted to be operated merely by patting the baby doll onthe back in a fashion similar to the actual handling of a real baby.Another feature of the present invention is a baby burp mechanismwherein the burp sound is produced only after a period of patting of thebaby doll on the back and each succeeding burp sound is preceded by aperiod of patting. Such behavior accurately reflects the behavior inreal life of handling the baby and burping it. Still another feature ofthe present invention is a burp sound means which accurately reproducesthe usual burp sounds made by a baby. Still another feature of thepresent invention is a simplified control means portion of the baby burpmechanism wherein oscillatory motion is translated into unidirectionalmotion without requiring the usual ratchet wheel and pawl arrangement.Thus, the construction and operation of such control means may besimplified.

It will be understood that the foregoing description and examples areonly illustrative of the present invention and are not intended that theinvention be limited thereto. All substitutions, alterations, andmodifications of the present invention which come within the scope ofthe following claims or to which the present invention is readilysusceptible without departing from the spirit and scope of thisdisclosure are considered part of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A baby doll burp mechanism adapted to be operated by patting the babydoll on the back and to periodically produce a burp sound when operatedso as to simulate the actual behavior of a baby comprising:

(a) a burp sound means mounted Within a baby doll and adapted to emit aburp sound when operated;

(b) actuator means mounted within said baby doll and adapted to beoperated by patting said baby doll on the back; and

(c) control means operatively connecting said actuator means with saidburp sound means and being adapted to convert the repeated operation ofsaid actuator means into periodic operation of said burp sound means;said control means comprising drive means adapted to perform oscillatorymotion when operated by said actuator means, regulator means forperiodically operating said burp sound means, clutch means fortranslating the oscillatory motion of said drive means intounidirectional motion of said regulator means, said clutch meanscomprising a rotatably mounted drum fixedly connected to said regulatormeans, a block fixedly connected to said drive means and adapted torotate about said drum, a roller positioned on said drum between saiddrum and block and adapted to fixedly connect said drum and block duringthe rotation of said block in one direction and disconnect said drum andblock during rotation of said block in the opposite direction whilemaintaining the position of said drum.

2. A baby doll burp mechanism as in claim 1 wherein the gap between theblock and the drum is decreased in width at one end of the block wherebysaid roller is wedged therein at said block end and the gap is increasedin width at the opposite end of the block whereby said roller freelyrotates therein at said block end.

3. A baby doll burp mechanism adapted to be operated by patting the babydoll on the back and to periodically produce a burp sound when operatedso as to simulate the actual behavior of a baby comprising: meansmounted within the doll figure for emitting a sound simulating a burpingsound, means for actuating the burp sound means comprising an actuatorpositioned to be activated by patting the baby doll on the back, controlmeans for controlling the emission of sound by the burp means, and meanswhereby the control means is activated only in response to several patsof the actuator means to produce a burping sound, said control meansincluding a movable member and means holding said member against returnto its initial position upon being activated until it has been activatedan indeterminate number of times to produce said burping sound.

4. A device as in claim 3 wherein said burp sound means comprises anintermittently actuated device, said movable member control meanscomprises a rotor and mechanism to move said rotor in steps in responseto movement of said actuator means whereby a burping sound is producedafter an undetermined number and degree of actuations of the actuatormember.

5. A device as in claim 3 wherein said movable memher control meanscomprises a rotor, a lever means having engagement therewith for movingthe rotor in steps and means whereby the lever means moves the rotor inunpredetermined amounts in response to movements of the actuatingmember.

6. A baby doll burp mechanism adapted to be operated by patting the babydoll on the back and to periodically produce a burp sound when operatedso as to simulate the actual behavior of a baby, comprising: soundproducing means within a baby doll and adapted to emit a burp sound whenoperated; control means in said doll arranged to operate said soundproducing means in response to only a predetermined total stimulusapplied thereto; actuator means responsive to patting the body of saidbaby doll for applying to said control means a stimulus less than saidpredetermined total stimulus; said control means including means foraccumulating successive stimuli from said actuator means to therebyactuate said sound producing means.

7. A mechanism as defined in claim 6 wherein said sound producing meanscomprises a resonator and hammer means arranged to strike saidresonator; said control means including a movable member arranged tooperate said hammer upon Completion of a predetermined extent ofmovement in one direction; said actuator means being connected to saidcontrol means to impart successive increments of movement thereto onlyin said one direction and in response to successive acts of patting saiddoll, each said increment being less than said predetermined extent ofmovement.

8. A mechanism as defined in claim 7 wherein said movable member is arotatable element and said actuator means is a pivoted lever; said leverbeing connected to said element by one-way drive means wherebyoscillatory movements of said lever rotate said element in only onedirection.

9. A mechanism as defined in claim 8 wherein said rotatable elementcomprises a cam engageable with said hammer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,205,498 11/1916Willett 46191 2,661,572 12/1953 Baggott 46-118 X 2,678,516 5/1954 Graham46-117 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS I. BOVASSO, Assistant Examiner.

6. A BABY DOLL BURP MECHANISM ADAPTED TO BE OPERATED BY PATTING THE BABYDOLL ON THE BACK AND TO PERIODICALLY PRODUCE A BURP SOUND WHEN OPERATEDSO AS TO SIMULATE THE ACTUAL BEHAVIOR OF A BABY, COMPRISING: SOUNDPRODUCING MEANS WITHIN A BABY DOLL AND ADAPTED TO EMIT A BURP SOUND WHENOPERATED; CONTROL MEANS IN SAID DOLL ARRANGED TO OPERATE SAID SOUNDPRODUCING MEANS IN RESPONSE TO ONLY A PREDETERMINED TOTAL STIMULUSAPPLIED THERETO; ACTUATOR MEANS RESPONSIVE TO PATTING THE BODY OF SAIDBABY DOLL FOR APPLYING TO SAID CONTROL MEANS A